Child&#39;s vehicle



N. SC ZHUSTER CHILDS VEHICLE Jan. 27, 1931.

Filed Jan 17, 1930 2 Sheets-Shet '1 .Jan. 27, 1931.

N. SCHUSTER CHILD'S VEHICLE Filed Jail. 17, 1930 2 ShGQLfi-ShGGV 2 Bmenfag I W k/ii iarizg q walkxor over iceori snow.

Patented Janf7, 1931 flvrcnoras sonusrriigfor-nurrlero;imw'ronxj gpplication filed January ,17, 1930. Serial not-421,421.

" a This invention relates; to improvements in self-driven vehicles. and more particularly to a childs'vehicle which isiadapted forpro v pulsion by therider over the street'vor-sidee @neof itsobjects s to lmprove the aotui sting mechanism-of the vehicle with a view ofa-assuring-a uniform motion thereof over the ground and also to afford an easier proe-m pulsion thereof by-the child. a

:Another object of the invention is toprovideza; childs vehicle ,of this character. which islsi'mple gcompact and inexpensive ill-190 struction -gand Whosew parts are. so organized and-arranged as". to providefor a maximum of comfort and'reliability of operation. In the accompanying drawings gure lgis a side elevation of a 011 hiole embodying my improvements, Figure 1 302133) top plan view thereof. Figure 3 isan enlarged, fragmentary top plan View, partly in section; showing the disposition of the actuating; mechanism of thevehiole. Figure 7 Asi's an enlarged side -.eleva tion of oneo f the 1 g5 propellingelements and its as sociated-parts.

Figure 5 is la transversesection-takenon 1ine-5l5,; g11re4.

'S' o'lar Vgharaeters, of reference indicate corresponding parts 7 throughout, the several runner 11 actuated bya steering Wheel 12" attachedlto an inclined post 13 rising' from the steering runnenf When it is'desired to V iise-thevehicle 'on sidewalks or payeinents, it igo in ay be "equipped with wheels or oast ersl, fjshown by dotted linesin the drawings; 6011- nestingthefrontfand rear ends of theframe barsa're cross members or braces15 and lo, respectively, "and intermediate 7 these 1 them- 1345 bers are-s11 stantially upright supports '17, to

- which a'isuitable seat -18 for the rideris I 1 fastened.

'Disposed lengthwise I of f spaced parallel relation above the frame :bars

.150 2 107 are :horiz-ontal (guide rod 19f suppor ed its 'rearw'ardlyv-swinging movement;

at rear sends-in the correspondingjcross braces,1-5, 16. Slidably mounted on these gnide rods for alternate reciprocatingmovement are crosseheads or slide-blocks 20 which carry 7 depending pro:

pelling elements 21 andwhich are'actuated back andyforth to propel the vehicle byfoot pedals 22 applied-to theshort uppenarms: of verticall y swingingelbow levers 23 fulv crumed intermediate their ends, as indicated at 24; to: a substantially Urshap' bar r yoke 25 rising V'upwardly' and rearwardly from the front ,cross brace 15. As shown in Figure-'1', the foot pedals are'disposed above the guide rods 19 and thef longer lower arms of the: levers 23 are arranged obliquely} to theirupperarms; The propelling elements 2lare preferably substantially L shaped, each being pivoted at its inpper-end, :as indicated at i26, .-to-1the corresponding slide-block 20, while the rearo Wardlybent portion 27 is'gprovided 'atits lower edgewith gripping teeth 28 which are adaptedtobite into'the' ice or s'now-to-propel the vehicle 'thereover. Projecting lat'erally from the side of each slide-block is a 1 stop z-lug'" or flange 29 which i's'oarranged in a the path of movement of the'proj eating upper 'HIIHIOftllQ propelling elementto limit g In its rearwardlyfswung. position, the gripping :endlof the; propelling element is clear; of

the'ice or snow and inactive}: 1

' The slide-blocks 20 and thepropelling'elements 2l'carried thereby are adapted tobereciproca-ted"in opposite directions for the purpose of alternately bringing these elements into and out of gripping engagement with'lthe ground asthe'rideractuates the pedals 22 to propeltlle vehicle in a forward fdirectionfl The preferre'd means for thus actuatingthe slide-blocks consists of an endless belt or oableSO disposed in a horizontal plane lengthwisexof the vehicle and immediately above the guide rod's19, the front and 7 rear ends offhefcable r passing around pul 'leys 3'1 journaled on upright studs 32 secured I ntorthe front and rear cross braces 15,16; One :of the long t in l stretches o i$ cab is rivetal -v join d, as indi ate a '3.3,-t9;1- he.

upper arm of the corresponding propelling the frame alongside the stretches of said belt, element 21 through the medium a jointed pendant ground-engaging elements fulcoupling 34, while the other stretch thereof issimilarly joined to the companion propelling element. The pedal levers 23 are adapted to transmit oscillatory movement to the endless cable 30 to reciprocate theprOpelling elements 21, and for this purpose the lower arms ofthese levers are connectedibyarigid links 85 with the corresponding upper arms of said propelling elementsli The front end" of each link is pivoted at 36 to its companion pedal-lever while its rear end may be joined" to the same pivot member 33 which connects the cable with' the propelling element; As seen in Figure 1', therelati-ve length-of the lower pedallever armf'a'nd its companion link are such that inthe extreme forward 'posi-r tion of the pedal 22," the respective pivots 24, 33 and 36 areout of a dead center line, thereby insuring a positive and rigid gripping action of the propelling elements on the ground-surface and resulting in an uniform movement of the vehicle thereover. s

Inthe operation of the vehicle as the child alternately applies foot pressure to thepedals 22, theelbow levers 23 are thrust forward.

andbackward to move the endless cable 30 'firstin one direction and then in the other to bring the propelling elements 21 into and out of operative engagement with the ice or snow, one of such elements: traveling in 1a rearward direction in its gripping position topush the vehicle forwardlyandthe other element simultaneously traveling in the op.-

posite or forward-direction and assuming the rearwardly' inclined position shown by dotted lines in Figure 4, wherein it isout of engagement with the ground. Whenpressure is'applied, say to the right hand foot lever'23, its lower arm is moved rearwardly to shift the endless cable and the corresponding slideblock 20 with its propelling element in a like direction; the latter being simultaneously swung about its pivot 26 to bring it into gripping engagement with the ground. The

Y companion foot lever on the other side .of the vehicle is, during this movement, compelled to rockin the opposite'direction by reason of its connection to the other side of the endless cable and the companlon propelling'ele- 'ment is swung in a direction to bring its gripping edge clear of the ground withits upperarm abutting against the stop flange 29 on the corresponding slide-block.

In using; the device as'a wheeled vehicle, the toothed portions 27'of the propelling elements 21' may bei'provided with rubber or similar ground-gripping shoes 37 which may be detachably fittedto such portions.

I claim asmy invention 1. A; self-propelled vehicle, compri "ing a "frame, a horizontally-disposed endless belt 7 "extending lengthwise thereof, reciprocating. Y 55 slides guided for 'movement lengthwise of armed to said'slidesand joined tosaid belts above their fulcrums, pedal levers fulcrumed intermediate their ends on said frame for vertically-swinging" movement, and links f connecting; the lower arms of? .said pedal levers with said ground=engaging elements.

2 A self-propelled vehicle, comprising a frame, a horizontally disposed endless belt extending lengthwise thereof, reciprocating slides guided for movement lengthwise of thefframe alongside'the stretches of said belt,

pendant ground engaging elements fulmediate their ends on said frame for vertically-swinging movement, and links pivotally" "connecting the lo-weriarms of said pedal levers with the upper arms? of said groundengagingelementsQ 3. A. self-propelledvehicle,comprising a frame, a horizontally-disposed endlessmbelt extending lengthwise thereof, slides guided 'on'said frame alongside the stretches of the belt for alternately reciprocating movement, propelling elements pivotally suspended intermediate theirupper andlower ends from said slides to swing in a longitudinal direction into" and out of gripping engagement with the ground, the upper arms of said propelling elements being pivotally joined to the endless belt, alternately movable 'elbowlevers fulcrumed on said frame above the belt and forwardly of the propelling elements, the upper arms of said levers having foot-pedals thereon and their lower ,armsext'endingbei 7 low said belt,=and rigid links connecting the lower armsof said elbow levers with the upper-arms of said propelling elements for transmitting motion to the .b'elt to reciprocate the slides and for controlling the swing- 'ing movements of'said elements to their operative and inoperative positions slides mounted on guide rods for ;jalter- .inately' reciprocatingg'movement, propelling elements. pivotally suspended intermediate their upper and lower ends from 1 said slides '4; A"self-propelledivehicle,comprisinga v i '7 frame, horizontally-disposed pulleys j0ur-,.

toswing in a longitudinal directioninto and V out of, .gripping engagement withTthe 'ground, the upper arms offsaid; propelling elements being joined to the endless belt,

alternate movable foot levers fulcrume'd inlterinediate'their ends onsaid frame forwardand lower obliquely disposed anms,

the upper arms being arranged above the; belt and the lower arms extending below the same, and rigid links connecting the lower the upper arms 

